Kissing Kris
by Father Hulk
Summary: A sweet love story about the two trainers from New Bark Town. Chris saves Kris from Silver, and then a romance begins to form. *COMPLETED!!! 1-21-03!* R/R Please!
1. An Errand for Elm

Kissing Kris

by Father Hulk

OPENING WORDS: Hello my dear children! Father Max Hulk, here with my first ever Pokemon story. Yes yes, a lot of you say that it's a bit immature for a man of my age, but I beg to differ, for it is a vast universe just loaded with writing opportunities such as this one. (Puts pinky to mouth, Dr. Evil Style) AHEM… okay, let's get rolling. These characters aren't mine, yadda and two more of the same. Let's go!

7:00 A.M. Sunrise. The beams of light pierced through my window, striking my face. As I started to wake up, I enjoyed the warmth of the golden sun. This was like, a "Vogue" shot… my hair was strewn loosely before my eyes, the blankets wrapped around me…

"Kris! Wake up, honey!" My mother called from downstairs. Yawning, I reluctantly sat up. Yup, that's me. Kris. Age 14, citizen of New Bark Town. Whatcha gonna do about it? Hee hee, just teasing. I went to the mirror and combed my hair, which was deciding to be unruly this morning, and then I went downstairs.

"Good morning, sweetie." said Mom as I entered the kitchen. "You had pleasant dreams, I can tell."

I smiled. Some mothers have a way with things that makes you smile, and my mother was one of them.

"Hey Krissie!" said the woman seated across from my mother. I waved. It was Nancy, our neighbor. "You'd be blessed if you'd hear my child stop talking about working for Professor Elm, I tell ya!"

"Speaking of which," said Mom as she fixed me some Crispy Crunchies, "Professor Elm wants to see you today. ASAP."

"Oh really?" I said, nudging the words between a yawn, "What about?"

"I don't know. I think he wants you to run some kind of errand."

"Curious."

"Ah, but you'll be needing a Pokemon to travel outside the village, won't ya?" Nancy said, raising an eyebrow. "And you're not a licensed trainer yet!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm sure whatever Professor Elm has in mind, he knows how to take care of it."

"All done?" Mother said, not even really a question since she took the bowl away as soon as she said it, "Then be off. Hurry!" She gave me a kiss on the cheek and saw me out the door.

I closed my eyes and sighed as the cool breeze hit my face. New Bark Town may be small, but it's good enough for me. We get a constant breeze from the east, where Route 27 is. I've never been out there, but I heard it leads to another country. One day I'd love to travel to other lands, and see the world…

Professor Elm's lab was the biggest building in town, and quite a grand one at that. I had only been in there a few times, and it was like a huge library! Books, computer terminals galore, all sorts of Pokemon stuff… you could get lost!

I went inside and knocked on Prof. Elm's office door.

"It's not locked." said the cheerful voice from inside. I opened it to see Professor Elm seated at his computer.

"Damn goblins…" he was muttering, "Darn you Pac-Man, why can't you go faster? Ah, Kris!" he exclaimed, seeing me enter. "Wonderful! I have an errand for you."

He strode over to his briefcase. "I want to present this paper on Pokemon evolution at the National PokeLovers Convention this Saturday, but I just can't get one detail straight… this little bugger right here… anyhow, I was wondering if you'd like to raise one of these Pokemon for me, to see if we can clear up the matter?"

I was delighted. "Sure! Which ones can I choose from? Do you have a psychic type?"

Prof. Elm chuckled. "No, I'm afraid not. What we DO have are these." He pressed a button and a domed table raised from the floor, showing three shiny Poke Balls. "We have Cyndaquil, the fire type… Totodile, the water type… and Chikorita, the grass type. You may choose whichever you wish!"

Ever have one of those times when you couldn't decide whether to buy the Gold Version of Pokemon or the Silver version, and you were just debating it over and over and over in your mind and couldn't come up with a decision? This is one of those times for me.

"Does this thing spin around like a roulette?" I asked in a last-ditch effort.

"Nope."

"All right then. I'll choose Totodile!"

Professor Elm pressed the blue button on the console, and in a flash of white light, I was holding the cute little crocodile-like Pokemon in my arms.

"Awww, how precious!" I cooed, stroking its head. "I'm going to call you Seltzer, because you're a jumpy water type!"

Professor Elm smiled and shook his head. "Clever girl that you are, Kris, I'm afraid that… hold on…" He abruptly went over to his computer. "I got an e-mail…" He read it thoroughly. "Okay… umm…"

He turned back to me. "Kris, could I ask a tremendous favor of you?"

I smiled broadly. "I'm already doing one for you, so another shouldn't be too much to handle, should it?"

"I have a friend named Mr. Pokemon."

"That's original." I said.

"Yes, well… he keeps finding bizarre things and raving about them. Now he's claiming he's found a (and I quote) 'giant piece to my endless jigsaw puzzle' (end quote)."

"Hmm…"

"Hmm indeed. So I was wondering if I could entrust you to go pick it up for me? It's not a far walk, all you need to is go beyond Cherrygrove City. You've been there before, I trust?"

I nodded. "I go to Cherrygrove all the time to go shopping. Mother's Chansey needs medicine sometimes."

"Good, good. Mr. Pokemon's house is just north of there. I have a machine here to heal your Pokemon," he pointed to the large stretcher-like tray, "Or you can use the Pokemon Center in Cherrygrove. Do you think you are up to it?"

I nodded vigorously. "You betcha."

"That'a girl, Kris. I'm counting on you!"

With a wave, I exited Prof. Elm's lab and, with Seltzer on my shoulders, set off on the route leading west. (I'm not too good with my route numbers. Age, don't forget. ---M.J.)

On the road, I fought a few wild battles with Seltzer. He's really quite impressive. He has very sharp claws that even Pidgey runs away from. Without too much trouble, my faithful partner and I made it to Cherrygrove City.


	2. What's Beyond Cherrygrove?

What's Beyond Cherrygrove?

"Good afternoon, Kris!" said the receptionist at the Pokemon Center. "Wow, you have a Pokemon with you! I didn't know you even had one! Um, shall I?"

"Please." I said. I turned to my Totodile. "Okay Seltzer, just get in the Poke Ball and Joy will make you all better, okay?"

"Toto!" he said, and obediently bonked his head on the center of the Poke Ball, going inside. After the short two minutes it took to have Pokemon healed, I thanked Joy and returned outside.

It was past noon now, and the sky was starting to turn deep blue. I decided to get a move on if I was going to make it before supper.

Route 30 featured tall hedges and even taller grass. Seltzer held his own with the wild Pokemon, though. I could see him getting stronger with every battle.

Finally, a small house came into view in the grove ahead, the window shining brightly, indicating that the person or persons within would be working long into the night.

I knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" asked an English voice.

"My name is Kris. I… I'm on an errand from Professor Elm."

"Ah, yes, yes, of course! Come in!" A bolt slid aside, and I was admitted into the warm house of Mr. Pokemon.

Mr. Pokemon himself was a portly, middle aged man with a short beard and a sort of squashed top-hat. There was also a bearded man in the corner that I did not know.

"Yes, I am Mr. Pokemon, the one and only!" The man rambled. "I've collected so many glorious things over the years! Teeth from extinct Aerodactyl, fossilized Gold Berries… ah but this! This will take Professor Elm's cake and eat it too, I think!" He went to his bag and removed a shiny, black egg. "This is the egg of a Pokemon! Do not doubt it!"

With trembling hands, he placed it in my knapsack as if he were placing an infant in its crib. "Take care of it, Miss Kris! Do not break it! For Professor Elm will know it, of this I am certain! Even Professor Oak there is certain! Isn't that right, Oak?"

I gasped. I had heard about Professor Oak, but _never_ expected to actually meet him! He was the most famous Pokemon researcher, like, EVER!

"Hullo, hullo!" He said, coming over and shaking my hand with both of his. "Nice to see you, Kris. A friend of Elm's, are you? Splendid! You know, Elm and I were high school chums! Inseperable, yes! And I see you have a Pokemon with you! May I?"

"Sure." I said. He examined Seltzer very closely. 

"Ah ha! I can tell Prof. Elm trusts you, as does your Pokemon! You shall become an impeccable trainer!"

I was taken aback. "A trainer? No, no… I'm just helping Professor Elm by raising…"

"Nonsense!" Oak said with a wave of his hand. "You'll become a trainer, or I'll eat my hat! Here, please take this!"

I couldn't believe my eyes! Professor Oak was presenting me with a Pokedex!

"No way!" I cried.

"Way." Oak replied. "In fact, I can guarantee you'll be a great trainer! Now if you'll excuse me, I must get to Goldenrod City for my radio show. See you Kris!" And he was gone.

"Are you returning to Professor Elm?" Mr. Pokemon asked.

"Yes of course."

"Then give your Pokemon some of my medicine." He kissed Seltzer once on each cheek, sort of like Italians do. Then he gave me the thumbs up and ushered me out the door.

And so now, with a Pokedex and Prof. Elm's item in my bag, I set off down Route 30 back to Cherrygrove.


	3. Twin Meetings

Twin Meetings

The sun was starting to descend into the west as I re-entered Cherrygrove City. The breeze from the east was getting stronger, and an air of tranquility was beginning to set in over the world.

"Isn't this awesome, Seltzer?" I asked the Pokemon on my shoulders. "Just you and me, traveling together like this?"

Seltzer answered by scratching my head with his claws. I giggled, and began walking towards the east gate that would lead back to New Bark Town. 

Suddenly, I froze. Directly in front of me was a boy, storming towards me. His hair was long, red, and unkempt, and his eyes had the piercing quality matched only by a snake. I took a step back, but he was faster, and soon he was standing before me.

"You…" he snarled, breathing heavy, "You got that Pokemon from Professor Elm, didn't you?"

I found my courage. "Yeah, so? What's it to you?"

"It's a shame. You're such a weakling."

"Excuse me? Who are you to say that?"

An evil smile formed on the boy's face. "My name is Silver. And I don't think you get the message. You see, I also have obtained a good Pokemon."

"Well, whoop-dee-do." I said, rolling my eyes. "Now, can I get past, please?"

"Not so fast." He said, blocking me. "We're going to battle right now!"

I gulped. I had seen trainers battle on TV, and trainer battles were a lot different than just battling in the wild like I had been doing. But it looked like I had no choice.

With his eyes glittering, Silver released his Pokemon, a Chikorita. My eyes narrowed. That was one of the choices from Professor Elm's lab… 

"Okay, Seltzer, scratch it!" I said. But before Seltzer could raise his claw, the Chikorita knocked him aside with its head, and tackled it.

"Hey, that's not fair!" I cried.

Silver smiled coldly. "All is fair in Pokemon battles. Chikorita, do it again!"

I winced as Chikorita impacted Seltzer again, and again…

"Stop! Please stop!" I begged, throwing my hand out. "Leave us alone!"

Silver paused, as if considering what to do. Then he began to step towards me. "Maybe… if you gave me your Pokemon… we could forget this ever happened…"

I trembled as he got closer. "Come on, little girl… give me that Pokemon…"

"HEY!" shouted another voice from behind me, "Knock it off!"

I spun around to see another boy running towards Silver. In one swift motion, he released a Persian that pounced on Silver, knocking him to the ground.

"Ya wanna think twice about threating a girl like that?" The boy snarled, glaring down at Silver. "Or do you want to have to get stitches?"

Now it was Silver's turn to tremble. "Get… it… the f*** off me!"

"Promise me!" the boy shouted. "You gonna leave her alone?"

"…Fine. Whatever! Now let… me… go!"

The boy withdrew his Persian. "Now get out of here!"

Silver scrambled to his feet, grabbed his Chikorita's Poke Ball, and bolted off down Route 30.

We both stood for a few moments, catching our breath. Then the boy turned to me.

"Are you all right?"

I finally got a good look at him. He was about the same height as me, wearing a red sweatshirt and shorts, with a twisted-around baseball cap.

"Yes, I'm fine." I said. "Thank you! Who are you?"

"My name is Chris." he said. "And you are…?"

"Kristal, but everyone calls me Kris."

"All right then, Kris, where were you off to?"

I eyed him suspiciously. "Professor Elm's lab. Why?"

"I just figured I should go with you, in case that asshole comes back. Here, let me see your Pokemon." He picked Seltzer up in his arms and administered a Potion to him. Seltzer licked his cheek.

I laughed. "I guess he likes you."

Chris smiled. "Come on, let's go."


	4. First Badge, First Hint

First Badge, First Hint

We returned to New Bark Town to see two police cars in front of Professor Elm's lab.

"What happened?" I wondered.

"I don't know." Chris said. "But I'm sure we'll find out once we go inside."

We entered the lab, and I quickly saw Prof. Elm talking to a few policemen. When he spotted me, he rushed over.

"Kris! There you are! Thank God! It's just terrible!"

"What happened here?" Chris asked.

"Hmm? Oh, Chris! Nice seeing you! Anyway, a Pokemon was stolen here! A boy just broke in and ran off with it!"

"I'm officer Charles." said a portly officer, walking over. "Do you have any information that can help us catch the criminal?"

"Was the Pokemon a Chikorita?" I asked.

Elm's head sprang up. "Yes! Yes it was! Did you see this boy?"

"We kind of had to fight him off." Chris told him. "It was a boy with long, red hair named Silver."

Charles quickly scribbled the informatn down. "Thank you, boy. When we catch the thief, we'll be sure to reward you. Come on, men." He quickly gathered the other officers and left.

Professor Elm wiped his forehead. "How could something like this happen?"

"It'll be okay, Professor." Chris said. "We'll catch him."

"Yes… but how have you been, Chris?" Elm said, seeming to brighten a bit. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Exuse me," I said, "But you two know each other?"

"Of course!" Elm said. "Chris got his first Pokemon from me not too long ago."

"Interesting."

Elm stood up, seeming to put the missing Pokemon aside for now. "So anyway, Kris! What was Mr. Pokemon's 'big discovery'?"

"Oh! Um…" I fumbled around in my bag, and removed the shiny egg. "This."

"Egad!" Elm seemed shocked out of his mind. "An egg! Geez!" With trembling hands, he took it from me. "Is this the egg of a Pokemon???"

"I don't know."

"If it is, Kris, this is one of the greatest discoveries in the world!" He quickly placed it on the table. "I must study it. Anyhow, speaking of Pokemon, how is yours doing, Kris?"

I released Seltzer from his Poke Ball, and Elm examined it.

"Yes, yes… its grown a few levels, I can see. Very strong… it trusts you… well done! Kris, you seem to have an uncanny ability with raising Pokemon, I must say."

Chris smiled, and I blushed like mad.

"So, Kris… I think that you're fit to take the Pokemon Gym Challenge!"

"What's that?"

"It's where you go to the different cities and towns and collect gym badges from the leaders." Chris said. 

"That'a boy, Chris." Elm said. "I wish the best of luck to both of you. Kris, take this…" he scribbled something down on a post-it note and handed it to me. "It's my phone number. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Professor." I said, smiling. "See you around!"

Chris and I stepped back out into the sunlight. "So where's the fisrst gym leader?" I asked.

"Violet City." Chris answered. "I was on my way there when I saw Silver attack you, so I figured we should just go together."

"Makes sense."

"Here, take these." He reached into his bag and removed five Poke Balls. "You're going to need to catch some more Pokemon if you want to challenge the gym leaders."

With my new traveling companion, five Poke Balls, and confidence, I set out once again on route 29.

It was evening by the time we arrived in Violet City. I had added a Pidgey and a Sentret to my collection, which I named Peeps and Ringding, respectively. They were strong, and I could see they were beginning to trust me. Chris already had a great collection of Pokemon, but he helped me with the battles anyway. We had gone through both wild battles and trainer battles on the road, and as a result we were much stronger.

"Let's go! Where's that gym leader?" I exclaimed, pumping my fists.

"Easy, party animal," Chris said, "First things first. We gotta heal our Pokemon, then buy items, and THEN we can fight the gym leader."

Finally, it was time. Time for me to acquire my first badge. I flung the gym doors wide open and stepped inside.

The gym was nice inside. The floors were done in shining blue bricks, and the walls were decorated with posters of hawks, ravens, and great eagles.

"Go get 'em, champ." Chris said, putting his hands on my shoulders and gently pushing me towards the first trainer.

"Well looky what we have here," the trainer snickered when he saw me approach, "A rookie! Hah!"

"She'll kick your ass!" Chris said from the entrance. "Don't doubt it!"

"Then let's go, girlie!"

The Bird Keeper had a Spearow, but with the help of Seltzer and Ringding, it went down quite easily.

"Don't get cocky." he growled as he withdrew the Spearow. "Falkner isn't as forgiving as I am."

At long last, after another Bird Keeper, I stood before Falkner, the gym leader. He rose when he saw me approach. He was tall, with long blue hair that fell lazily over one eye.

"Who goes there?" he said. "Who wishes to challenge me?"

"I am Kris, of New Bark Town. And I wish to challenge you!"

Not taking his piercing glare off me, he reached inside his tunic and removed two Poke Balls. "Then let's go."

The first challenger wad Pidgey. I chose Ringding to fight it. Ringding suffered a loss of about 15 HP, but by using Defense Curl, it was able to stay in the game. Pidgey fell. The next up was Pidgeotto, the second form of Pidgey. I chose Seltzer to fight. First, I used Leer to lower the defense. Pidgeotto seemed to be obsessed with one move called Mud Slap, which it used repeatedly. After two Leers, I had Seltzer use Rage, and with each Mud Slap, the power got higher, eventually knocking Pidgeotto out. The battle was over, and I had won.

I was frozen. I couldn't believe what I had just done. I had just defeated one of the gym leaders assigned by the Pokemon League themselves to confer badges on worthy trainers. I had beaten him!

"Oh my God! I won!" I cried, running to Chris and impulsively hugging him. "I beat him! I beat him!" Suddenly I was aware of what I was doing, and I awkwardly stepped back. "Sorry…"

"Don't be." Chris said with a smile. "I felt that way when I got my first badge, except that I didn't have anybody to hug in excitement."'

"Oh…" There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Ahem!" Falkner called from the rear of the gym. "Do you want your badge or not?"

"Oh, sorry." I went back and took the shiny Zephyrbadge.

"Keep it real, sweetie." Falkner said, winking. I rolled my eyes.

"You did a great job, Kris, you really did." Chris said as we stepped outside again. "I think this deserves some celebration."

Before I could speak, he threw a Poke Ball down to reveal a Fearow.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Come on, hop on!" he said. "I'm taking you to dinner in the big city!"

A bit reluctantly, I got on the back of the bird, then cried out in delight as we zoomed up high above the world and flew off.

__

My trainer, Kris, is doing a great job. I really like her now. We fought one heck of a battle in that gym. I'm curious about that guy that's with her now. I wonder if they will go out. I don't know what's going on outside, but it feels like I'm flying. I'm glad I've got my warm Poke Ball.

---Seltzer


	5. Dinner Date

Dinner Date

"Yikes!" I cried, as Fearow zoomed left and right, avoiding the clouds like they were mountain peaks. "Do we have to go so fast?"

"Hold on to me if it will make you feel safer!" Chris shouted over the wind. "We'll be there soon!"

"Where are we going?"

"Goldenrod City! They have an awesome diner on the top floor of the department store! Here we are!" Chris put one hand on his hat to keep it in place as Fearow dipped his beak low and swooshed down to alight gently at the Goldenrod City gate.

As soon as I set my feet on the ground, I was dazzled. I never imagined such a big city could even exist! Houses, stores, and skyscrapers sprouted up everywhere, their lighted windows making them seem on fire, and people were rushing around everywhere, despite the fact that it was nearly night.

"This place is unbelievable!" I whispered as we walked slowly into the city.

"Yeah, it's pretty big. Second only to Saffron City, out east in Kanto."

"Wow…"

Suddenly, a shrill whistle sounded, and the Magnet Train screeched into the station. Consequently, Chris and I found ourselves caught up in a mad rush of people boarding and getting off.

"Whoa!" Chris said as a man jostled him, "Here, Kris, hold my hand. This way we don't get separated."

I took his hand. It was warm and strong, and I definitely felt safer.

"The department store is only a few blocks away." Chris told me after the crowd had dispersed. "It's just a quick walk."

I smiled and continued to look around at the tall buildings and stores, and then I noticed that Chris and I were still holding hands. I was going to let go, but for some reason, I was content to hold his hand as we walked. 

"Here we are!" Chris said, opening the door for me. "Ladies first!"

"Thank you, kind sir." I said, going inside. He followed me, and we went to look at the store directory.

"Where do you want to eat?" Chris asked, poking his finger at the restaurant section of the map. "We can go to Burgers or Bupkus, or Togepi Tropical Cuisine." 

"Whatever you want is fine." I said.

"Hell no, this is your dinner, your choice."

I blushed. "Um, the burger place is fine." I said, looking away.

"Very good, very good." Chris said, his voice magically changing to that of a French waiter. "Follow me, please."

We rode the elevator up to the seventh floor, where Chris got us a table.

"Please, be seated." He said, pulling my chair out for me.

"My my, we're a perfect gentleman, aren't we?" I said with a giggle as I sat down.

"Please! Order whatever suits you!"

"Okay, Chris, ditch the accent."

"Sorry." He said, his voice magically returning to normal. "But get whatever you want. It's on me."

"No! You really don't have to…"

"I insist." he said with the same finality as when you ask your parents to take you to Disneyland and they say "It's out of the question."

After we ordered our food, there was an awkward minute of silence.

"So tell me about you." I said, trying to break the aforementioned awkward moment of silence. "Are you training Pokemon for a living, or what?"

"Actually, I'm training Pokemon to become the champ." he said with a chuckle. "You do know how to become a champion, right?"

A bit embarrassed, I shook my head.

"Well, you're already on the Gym challenge… this afternoon should have been some hint of that. But after you defeat the eight Gym leaders, you have to go up against the best of the best of the best."

"And who are they?"

"The Elite Four. Four trainers with skill unrivaled anywhere else in the world. And then, of course, there's the current champion. If you defeat all of them, then you're the new champ."

"Sounds hard as hell." I mused.

"Damn right. It's always been my dream to become the champion of the world. I owe it to my family."

I smiled. "Got a history of winners in your family, do ya?"

He frowned. "No, actually, we've got a history of losers. Every single one of us who became an aspiring trainer came so close to winning it all, but lost everything." His expression became glum. "I want to be the one to change our history. And change our future."

I smiled sympathetically. "You will. I can tell from looking at you. You look just like all those hotshot trainers that I see on television."

Now it was his turn to blush a little bit. "Thank you. Oh! Here's our food!"

A Skiploom waddled over to us, our food balanced on its spread out flower blossom, which was flat like a tray.

"Thanks, buddy." Chris said, slipping a few morsels into its mouth and patting it on the back.

I raised my glass of root beer. "A toast to Chris, the aspiring champ!"

"No," Chris said, raising his own glass, "To both of us! We're working together now!"

I grinned, and we dug in.

__

So I took Kris to dinner tonight. I don't know, but I think I'm starting to develop a small crush on this girl. She really is quite beautiful. But it's still early. I have no idea what's going to happen. All I know is that I am very, very full. ^_~

---Chris


	6. Chapped Lips

Chapped Lips

"Well, that sure was filling!" Chris said, patting his stomach. "Did you enjoy your food?"

"You bet." I said, feeling very full. "Thank you so much! You really are a perfect gentleman."

Chris blushed. "Yeah, well… I try. Come on, you want to do some shopping before we leave?"

I was delighted. "Sure!"

If I thought that the store in Cherrygrove City was big, the Goldenrod Department Store was _gigantic!_ I never saw so many counters with people selling their wares. I was a bit overwhelmed, actually.

"So anything in particular you want?" Chris asked after we had bought enough items to last us a week. I wandered through the aisles, and then I found the most _adorable_ thing in the world: A Squirtle Poke Doll!

"I'm getting this!" I declared, but when I took it to the counter and opened my wallet, I found I was just 200 coins short of the purchase price.

"Oh noo…" I moaned. "Don't tell me I don't have enough!"

"Psst," said a voice at my shoulder, "Here." Chris was passing me a spare 200 coins.

"Absolutely NOT!" I cried, thrusting the coins back at him. "You don't have to!"

"But I want to." He said. "Take it."

With quivering hands, I accepted the money from him and went to pay for the doll.

"OUCH!" I said as one of the thin coins sliced my finger.

"What happened? You cut yourself?"

"Yeah…" I put my finger to my mouth. "It's not that bad."

"Here, let me see." He gently took my hand and kissed my finger. The pain didn't entirely go away, but just the thought of what he had done made it feel a little better.

"Um… thanks." I said nervously, and I finished paying for the doll. Next, we went to the third floor, where there was an arcade.

"I'm just going to play the driving game real quick." Chris said, and he sat down in the small, domed arcade machine. After he was done, he stood up to get out and he whacked his shoulder.

"Ah, frick!" He cried, wincing.

"You'd better let me fix it." I said, kissing his shoulder. At first I though I was being too forward, but when you think about it, it makes sense, doesn't it?

His eyes met mine. "Thanks, Kris."

After we did some more shopping, we decided to check into the Pokemon Center for the night. Chris took me to my room.

"So, I'll see you in the morning?" he asked.

I smiled. "Of course. We're together… I mean, traveling together now."

There was a feeling in that hallway that was rapidly expanding, and it filled me with energy. I knew what I wanted.

"You know, Chris…" I said, putting my hand on my lips, "I think I have some chapped lips. They're really hurting."

He took the hint. "Oh… um, you want me to fix it?"

My eyes were shining. "Yes."

He slowly stepped towards me and took my hand. I closed my eyes as our lips met. It was heaven. It was only a light kiss, though, and he pulled back after a few seconds.

"Good night, Kris." he said with a smile, and then he went to his room.

I stood in the hall, catching my breath. At first I thought that Chris and I were just travel compainions, but things were beginning to grow very quickly. With my lips still tingling, I went inside and collapsed on my bed. I think I'm gona have some pleasant dreams tonight!

__

Kristal and Chris are definitely meant for each other. I could see the way Chris looked at her when they were in my lab. He's after her, and she him. I have very high expectations for both of them.

---Professor Elm


	7. Second Signs

Second Signs

"Good morning, sunshine!" Chris said as I emerged from my room in the Pokemon Center. "Sleep well?"

"Yeah." I told him. "But, I kinda couldn't stop thinking about…"

"I know." He said, sparing me from saying it. "That was… really something." There was a moment of silence, and then he continued. "Anyway, I think today we should go after your second badge, and then I want to rent an instructional video on how the Indigo tournaments work, and we can both watch it."

"Sounds good to me."

"Well? Shall we have some breakfast?"

Breakfast was most enjoyable. We had bacon and eggs at the café in the department store. 

"So you're really gonna go for it?" I asked him.

"Damn right! I told you, I owe it to my family."

"I believe in you." I said, putting my hand on top of his.

He smiled. "Thanks."

I caught myself staring into his eyes for a moment. I quickly cleared my throat and looked away.

After the Skiploom had taken our plates away, Chris stood up and said, "Let's go get that second badge!"

"Where exactly do we go for it?" I asked as we left the department store and returned to the shining golden light of Goldenrod City.

"It's in Azalea Town, south of here. But first maybe we can go through the National Park if you want. They've got some great scenery there."

"Sounds good." I said. "Let's go!"

We set off north from Goldenrod at 9:00, and after a quick run through some high grass and adding a few new Pokemon to my collection, we came to the National Park. (Speaking of my collection, besides Seltzer, Peeps, and Ringding, I also had a Magnemite and Weepinbell, which I named Hertz and Big Ben, respectively.)

"Wow, this park is really nice." I said as we hiked through a wooded area.

"Yeah, it's got its good parts." Chris agreed. 

We came to a clearing where there were picnic tables and benches.

"Want to have a rest for a minute?" he asked me.

"Sure."

We sat down on one of the polished wood benches to catch our breath.

"You look really nice today, Kris." He said after a while.

I smiled. "Thanks."

"A beautiful day, and a beautiful girl," he sighed, leaning back and putting his arm around me, "What more could a guy want?"

I laughed and pushed him away. "You're too much! Stop it!"

"Sorr-ree!" he said sarcastically. "A guy can get a goodnight kiss but he can't put his arm around you… I see how it is."

"I'm just teasing you, silly."

"No, Kris, it's okay." He stood up. "See ya."

I laughed again and pulled him back to the bench. "You are just one big riot, you know that?"

He was staring into my eyes again. I was mesmerized. I moved closer, he moved closer. We closed our eyes…

"AHEM!" said a loud voice. We jumped, startled, and saw a park officer standing there. "Doing personal activities on public property is the same as loitering! Cease and desist immediately, or I shall fine you!"

Chris growled, but stood up anyway. "Come on, Kris. Let's go."

I followed him out of the clearing and out of the park.

The first few minutes of the rest of our journey south passed in awkward silence.

"Well that was… interesting." I said after a while.

"Yeah, really." He replied. "I just… I don't know…" We both broke into nervous laughter.

"Let's just forget about it." I said. I assumed he was glad to do so. And thus we plunged south towards Azalea.

The battle for the second badge was quite a bit tougher than the first trial. After a somewhat simple Metapod and Kakuna, there was a fierce Scyther, which had very sharp claws and didn't hesitate to use them. I had Hertz on the front line, as his steel qualities helped defend against the physical assault. After a terrible and electrifying bout, I emerged victorious!

"I got it! I got it!" I cried, waving my second badge in the air as I ran out of the gym.

"Hey, congrats!" said Chris, who was waiting outside. "I knew you could do it."

I hugged him. "I can't believe it! I won! I actually won!"

He held me for a moment, if not a bit tighter. "I always had faith in you." He whispered. The feel of his breath on my neck excited me, and gave me chills.

"Oooh…" I whispered.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah… yeah, I'm great!" I said, smiling.

As much as I wanted to deny it, and as much as I wanted to say it was too early, I truly thought I was falling for Chris. He filled me with a feeling that I'd never felt in my life. It was frightening, but it was exhilarating at the same time.

"…Kris? Hey, snap out of it!"

I shook my head. "What? What happened?"

"You were spacing out." He said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine." I said, looking away.

The sun was setting.

"Come on, let's stay at the Azalea Pokemon Center tonight." He said.

"Kay." I followed him inside, but I knew that sometime soon I had to let him know. 


	8. Midnight Confession

Midnight Confession

As Chris talked with Joy about getting us a couple of rooms for the night, I looked out the window. Dark clouds had begun to roll in from the north, promising a thunderstorm soon. I shivered. I hated rain.

"Okay, come on." Chris said, leading me upstairs. He saw me to my room. "If you need me, I'm right in the next room, okay?"

"Okay." I said quietly, looking away. I needed him more than he knew. I was afraid of these feelings, afraid of how quickly they were growing. There was just something _about_ him… It's remarkable that one could get any sleep with so much on their mind, but as my head hit the soft pillow, happy memories came back to me and I slipped into dream land.

__

In my dream, Silver is chasing me in a big field. I am running. Then Chris comes riding in on a Rapidash, pummeling Silver to the ground. I jump on the back of the Rapidash and Chris and I go riding happily into the sunset. We come to a lake in a shady grove. He helps me down from the Rapidash and kisses me, a true kiss. I love it and want more. Then we have dinner on a picnic blanket. We set off fireworks. Rockets and firecrackers that go boom! Boom! Boom!

BOOM! I sat up, sweating and gasping for breath. It's pouring out, and thunder and lightning plague the sky. Once I'm able to concentrate my thoughts, I lean back on the headboard.

"Geez, what a dream!" I whisper. "Oh my God!" I have to admit to myself I had never had a dream like that before. For the next minute or so, my thougts swirled around in my head like a tornado, and then they spiraled down into my heart, and I knew I had to tell him. Right now.

I put my slippers on and went down the hall and knocked on Chris's door. After a minute or two, he opened it.

"What's wrong? Can't sleep?" he asked, yawning.

"Chris, can I come in?" I asked.

"Uh, sure."

"Sit down," I said, sitting on the bed, "I need to talk to you." After he sat down next to me, I said, "Chris, I know we've only been together for a few days, but…" I paused, trying to think of what to say.

"But what, Kris?" He asked softly. "You can tell me."

"It's just that… I just find you so funny, and smart, and charming…" Here comes the hardest part… "I think that I have real feelings for you."

My heart was fluttering like a hummingbird's wing as I waited for his response. He seemed thoughtful, almost spaced out. Then he lifted his hand and brushed it across my cheek. I closed my eyes.

"Kris," he said, "I often wondered what road to travel in the course of my life. Sometimes you come to a fork in the road, sometimes you come to a road less traveled, and sometimes you come to a critical fork where your life's outcome is greatly dependant on your choice." He took my hand. "And then there are some roads that change your life for the better, that make the sun shine and never end, that makes the birds sing songs of neverending happiness."

"And you think you just stepped onto that road?" I asked, voice quavering.

"No, Kris," He said, "I was on that road from the moment I met you.

My heart leapt to my throat, and my breath came fast. "Oh my God…" I whispered. "I don't know what to say."

He gently lifted my chin up. "We don't need to say anything."

Chris and I kissed until the rain let up.

__

Sometimes I wish I could open my Poke Ball from the inside, so I could see what's going on outside of it. But tonight I didn't need to. I heard what my trainer and that girl were doing. It made me miss my mate, Feara, from a few years ago. Sigh…

---Fearo, Chris's Fearow


	9. An Urgent Phone Call

An Urgent Phone Call

The sunrise shone through the window, falling on Chris and I. I had spent the night in his arms, snuggled up close. We hadn't _done_ anything, of course, except kiss. (We may be old to do that, but not old enough for much more.) But the feelings we shared last night meant more to me than anything in the world.

"Mmm…" I held him tighter and kissed his cheek.

"Wha? What time is it?" he moaned, opening his eyes.

"Go back to sleep, silly." I said. "It's only 5:00. We still have time together."

"Hee hee…" he kissed me, and then we both fell back asleep until 9:00.

"Good morning!" he said, sitting up and nudging me. "How'd you sleep?"

"Did we even sleep?" I asked with a grin. 

"Heh heh…"

I sat up. "I love you." I said impulsively.

"Likewise." he said, kissing me again. "I've never felt this way for anybody before."

"I know," I said, "It's so weird!"

"Well, come on. We should rent that video today."

After a great breakfast, we went to the video store and took out "Rules of the Indigo League." We sat down in the recreation area to watch it.

"This should tell us everything we need." Chris said, putting his arm around me.

Professor Oak appeared on the screen to narrate the video.

"The Indigo Tournaments are the ultimate goal of every aspiring trainer. Every December, the tournaments are held to decide who is the best of the best of the best. New entries begin by facing others of the same rank, and then the winners move continuously up."

Chris moved closer to me as we watched.

"After a trainer succeeds in 7 matches, they are eligible to fight the other winners from the other three cups. The losers are eliminated until only two remain. The winner of that match is declared the Indigo Champion."

"That'll be you." I said to Chris, smiling.

"Not if you beat me to it." he said.

I laughed. "What are you talking about?"

"The way you're going, you might make it to the top before me."

"No way. I wouldn't cause you to lose. I love you."

He kissed me. "I know. But still, I wouldn't have a choice if you did more winning than I did."

"I still have to get all my badges." I reminded him.

"I know. What say we go back to Goldenrod to get your third one today?"

"Sounds good to me."

After we cuddled a bit more and then had lunch, we flew back to Goldenrod City to challenge Whitney. As we walked towards the Gym, Chris's cell phone began ringing.

"It's my mom." he said, looking at the Caller ID. "Hello? Hi. Is everything okay?" His face paled as he listened. "Oh… oh shit. Well, I'm kind of… I know. Okay. Yeah, I'll come. Just give me an hour or two. Okay, bye."

I looked at him with a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

He sighed and turned to me. "It's my dad."

"What about him?"

"He's really sick. He was in a cave, and he fell down an abyss, then a bunch of Poison Pokemon found him. Luckily his partner brought him home, but…"

"What are you saying?" I asked.

His eyes began tearing. "I have to go to him."

My heart burst. "What? You mean… you're leaving me?"

"Not forever, Kris." he said, his voice weakening. "But for a while."

"Oh!" I hugged him, crying. "Don't! Don't leave me! Not now!"

"I have to." He whispered, kissing my cheek. "I'm so sorry…"

I cried openly now. "I love you."

"I love you too. But I don't have a choice."

"Yes you do!" I squeezed him tighter. "I don't want you to leave!"

"I'm sorry, Kris." He let go of me and kissed me softly. "I'll find you again. But for now… goodbye, Kris, my love."

Without another word, he turned and released his Fearow, got on and flew off.

"Goodbye, Chris." I whispered, tears flowing down my face.


	10. Girl Talk

Girl Talk

I wasn't in any shape to challenge Whitney after Chris left me standing there in the street. I ran back to my room and cried my eyes out three times over. It wasn't fair! I had just fallen in love with him, and he has to leave! Of course, I did unterstand all that about his dad. But just the thought of knowing I may never see him again just brought wave after wave of sobs.

But my mother always said that problems won't be washed away with tears. When my will returned, I went and got that third badge. The road ahead would be tough, but I stood facing it like a fortress.

It was June when I got my third badge, and as the days rolled by, and as I added new Pokemon and badges to my collection, my life began to change. I became tough, aggressive, and fearless in battle. My Pokemon built up that image as well. 

I also became friendly with a group of girls from Ecruteak City, and we went out frequently, gossiping and shopping, and that sort of thing. Each of us had at least 4 badges, (I had 6), and one October evening, we sat in our room at the Pokemon Center, watching a video and speculating as to whether or not we could be successful at the Indigo Tournamnets.

"So which league should I try out for?" A picnicker named Tracy asked. "I don't want to start with anything too hard."

"Well, It's not going to be a walk in the park anyway," I reminded her. "Plus, you'll move up anyway and then get to the hard stuff."

My friend Cindy spoke next. "What about you, Kris? Are you gonna go for it?"

I sighed. "I'd like to. I really would."

"You've got the most badges out of any of us," said an older girl, Lisa. "You should have no problem."

"My boyfriend says I should start with the Anafeem League." Cindy said. "I trust him."

I snorted. "At least you have a boyfriend."

Tracy's head popped up. "Oh, now we're talking about boys! Cool!"

"You never had a boyfriend, Kris?" Lisa asked.

"I used to."

"What was he like?"

I smiled sadly. "You'd never forget him if you saw him. Tall, brown hair, gorgeous eyes…"

"And did this Romeo have a name?" Cindy asked.

"His name was Chris," I told her, "And I loved him more than anything in the world. I still do."

"And he broke up with you?"

I didn't want to let the memories in, but these were my friends, so I felt safe telling them what happened. "No, he didn't 'break up' with me, but he did leave me. He had to help his dad, who was badly hurt and sick."

"That's SO sad!" Tracy gasped. "So what did you do? Did you cry?"

I glared at her. "No, I went out to White Castle! Of COURSE I cried! I cried for three hours straight!" I in fact felt like I was about to start crying again.

"Hey, calm down," Cindy said. "She just asked a simple question."

"Well maybe she needs to have some common sense."

"Why you…"

"Okay, okay, no fighting." said Lisa, standing up. "Who wants to watch Leo DiCaprio?"

The matter of Chris was officialy put aside.


	11. December

December

Weeks continued to roll by, and by November 27th, my friends and I had earned our eighth badge and were en route to Indigo Plateau.

"This is SO cool!" said Tracy as we rode our water Pokemon to Route 27. "We're going to a whole different country!"

"I've always wanted to go this way." I said, smiling as the breeze hit my face.

"Okay, guys, we're here." Lisa said as the shore appeared in front of us. We dismounted, then walked up the steep hill to the grand Pokemon Indigo League Admissions Office, which was sitting at the very top.

"Names?" asked the receptionist inside.

"Kris, Cindy, Lisa, and Tracy." I told her.

"Let me see your badges."

After we had shown the woman our badges, she allowed us to pass through. We stepped into the sunshine and gasped.

Before us stood Pokemon Stadium, the official place where the Indigo Tournaments were held. Hundreds of trainers were already gathered out in front, scrambling here and there, meeting friends or healing Pokemon.

"Kris, we're going to sign up for our different leagues." Cindy said. "Catch up with you later, ok?"

"Sure." I said, and then I tried to decide which league to try for. Finally, I decided on Ruach, so I started walking towards the east end of the compound to sign up.

Suddenly, I felt a cold pair of hands on my back.

"Don't rush too fast, little girl." said an icy voice. I spun.

"You!" I cried, as Silver grinned wickedly. "Why did you follow me here?"

"I didn't follow you, sweetie. I, too, am entered in the Ruach League. And it seems you'll be tough competition for me."

"I'll kick your ass!" I snarled.

"Probably." he said, his eyes drifting down to my Poke Ball belt. "But perhaps... if you didn't have the Pokemon to defeat me with…"

"Don't you dare think about it." I warned him. "Don't even try."

"Stop me." He said, and lunged for my belt. I grabbed his hand and shoved it away.

"Oh, I see." he whispered, then grabbed my neck with one hand and seized my belt with the other. I kicked him in his stomach.

"Quite the toughie, are we?" he snarled.

"You have no idea." I said, and before he could try anything else, I pulled my fist back and punched him right in the jaw. As he fell, I punched him again, then kicked him in the side. He was motionless.

"You've grown quite impressive." said an incredibly familiar voice. It couldn't be…

I turned around slowly, and who should I see but Chris, standing there watching!

"That's some brute power you've got there." He said with a wry grin.

"Holy shit!" I cried, running into his arms, "It can't be you! Oh my God! I missed you! I love you! Geez, how could you just leave me like that! Holy shit I've missed you!" 

He knew I was babbling, but he didn't mind. "It's nice to see you again, Kris."

After I had recovered from the initial shock, I kissed him, just like we did that first night. "You have some nerve," I said with a grin.

"Hey, Kris!" called Lisa, running over with Cindy and Tracy, "Is this your boyfriend?"

"Yep!" I said proudly. "Lisa, Cindy, and Tracy, this is Chris. Chris, these are my friends."

"How ya doin." He said, tipping his hat. They giggled.

"ATTENTION!" blared the loudspeakers, "ATTENTION! THE TOURNAMENTS ARE NOW BEGINNING!" This statement was met by a thunderous round of cheering and applause. "WILL ALL TRAINERS PLEASE PROCEED TO THEIR RESPECTIVE LEAGUES IMMEDIATLEY!"

"What league are you in?" I asked Chris.

"Adama. You?"

"I signed up for Ruach. So did this punk…" I pointed to Silver, "But I don't think he'll be competing."

Chris laughed. "We'll chat during the first break. Bring your friends." And then he walked off to the north end of the compound.

"See you guys later." I told my friends, and with a deep breath and happiness in my heart again, I walked boldy into the Ruach League lobby.


	12. The Matches Begin

The Matches Begin

Inside the meeting area, Professor Oak met with us to give us our orientation.

"Though we're all friendly right now," he said to the thirty of us, "It will get bitter. The thirty of you will compete against each other for the title of League Winner. Once the League winners from all eight Leagues are decided, then they will compete against each other for the title of League Champion. Understand?"

We all nodded.

"All right then! Make sure your Pokemon are in full health, then go see Mr. Hulk over there to see who you'll compete against first."

As I walked over to the bearded man at the end of the room, Professor Oak pulled me aside.

"See Kris?" he whispered, "What did I tell you? You DID become a trainer! Now I don't have to eat my hat after all!" He slapped me on the back. "I have high hopes for you, kid! Go get em!"

Mr. Hulk set me against a trainer named Travis for my first match. With courage and fear at the same time, I stepped out into the stadium.

The match against Travis was brutal for a first match. I used Seltzer, Hertz, and Big Ben as my three Pokemon, but we just barely made it through. Travis had his Raichu give Big Ben a nasty dose of Paralysis, and it was only by luck that its next attack, a Thunderbolt, missed its mark so that we could use Razor Leaf. Hertz was amazing defensively, and Travis's Lanturn had a hard time with it and eventually fainted. The third match up was Seltzer against a Hitmonlee. Since there were no weaknesses for either of us to play on, I simply had Seltzer use Hydro Pump until the Hitmonlee went down. VICTORY!

My second match was against a girl called Sunny. I chose Peeps, Ringding, and Big Ben. Peeps faced off against a Kadabra, and though he fought gallantly, it was no match. So the score was 2-3 against me. I sent out Ringding, which knew a vast variety of moves, including Thunderpunch, Shadow Ball, Surf, and Iron Tail. The Kadabra in turn was no match for the shadow ball. With an even score, I kept Ringding out to face a Typhlosion. Obviously, Sunny didn't know that Ringding had Surf, so she cried out in surprise as the water started to fill the stadium. The third matchup was Ringding against a Hitmontop. Hitmontop was vicious, spinning, striking, then moving away again. When he came close to Ringding, Ringding used a Thunderpunch, startling the fighting type and paralyzing it. With two hits from Iron Tail, it fainted and the match was over.

"So you won both your matches?" Chris asked as we sat in the dining area during the break, "That's great! I did, too. I think we both may be league winners."

I chuckled nervously. "A few times it was only luck that saw us through. It's just a matter of time before I get eliminated."

Chris took my hand. "That's not the kind of attitude to have. You have to stay positive."

"Hey you two!"

I looked up to see Cindy, Lisa, and Tracy arrive.

"Can we join you?"

"Sure." I said, scooting over.

"So tell me about this good-looking guy," Tracy said. Chris blushed.

"What's to tell?" he asked.

"Tell them about your goal, and what you owe to your family." I said.

"Oh, that… well, ladies, it seems that every single member of my family that became a trainer and made it to the Indigo Finals lost. Every single one. I owe it to my family to win. I just have to. I won't be another one of us to lose!"

"You GO, boy!" Lisa cried.

"ATTENTION! BREAK IS OVER! PLEASE REPORT BACK TO YOUR RESPECTIVE LEAGUES!"

"I gotta go." I said to Chris with a smile. "Good luck. Keep winning."

"You too." he said, and after giving me a quick kiss, we all rushed back to prepare for the next match.


	13. The Matches Continue

The Matches Continue

Though I was proud of myself for winning my first two matches, my fellow Ruach League members kept informing me that it was "nothing" and that I would be "eliminated soon enough." But I didn't let this deter me as I re-entered the stadium for the third match.

The first matchup was Peeps versus a Charizard. Charizard went first and hit Peeps hard with a Fire Blast, but his next attack missed, allowing Peeps to fly high up in the air and swoop down, dealing a critical hit. Charizard snapped at Peeps as he came down, but Peeps threw a cloud of sand in his face, and then used a Drill Peck to put Charizard out for the count.

The second matchup was RingDing against a Lanturn. Lanturn immediately paralyzed Ringding and shocked it. Ringding made a valiant effort to survive, but got knocked out before it could attack. The score being 1 to 1, I sent out Hertz against the next Pokemon, a Jynx. Jynx's ice attacks did little to Hertz's steel frame, and with a Thunder Wave and Zap Cannon, Jynx fell.

Finally, it came down to Seltzer against a Dragonite. I don't think the Dragonite's trainer knew that Seltzer had blizzard, and the dragon was wiped out in two turns. VICTORY!

Have you ever had a time when things were going so good for you that you thought you were dreaming, only to wake up and have it all disappear? I've only felt that way twice in my life… That first night I had shared with Chris, and right now. I kept thinking that I would come up against an invincible trainer, but then I found myself sitting back in the break area during the 5 match break, having won all 5 so far.

"How'd you guys do?" I asked as Tracy, Cindy, and Lisa came over.

They sighed. "We lost."

"What???"

Cindy giggled sadly. "Our third match. Each of us. I guess we got cocky."

"Well, have a seat." I told them with a smile. "Mozzarella Sticks are on me."

"SCORE!" They cried, sitting down.

"Hey Chris!" I called, seeing that handsome devil enter the eating area, "Over here!"

He found us and came walking over. "Good afternoon, ladies!"

"Hey Chris!" the three of them said in unison, giggling.

I moved over so Chris could sit down, and then we started on a feast of Mozzarella Sticks and popcorn chicken.

"So?" he said after a little while, "I heard good things about you. Won 5 matches so far, huh?"

I blushed. "Yeah. It's gotta be a miracle. How about you? You still in the running?"

He grinned. "Yup. So far."

"Hey, what happens if you two have to fight each other?" Lisa asked.

The question took me by complete surprise. "What???"

"Well, what if you both become league winners, and then you both have to fight each other?"

"Um…" I had never really thought about that before. Of course I couldn't take Chris's dream away from him, but did that mean…?

"It's still up in the air," Chris said, interrupting my thoughts. "I'm sure it'll all work out."

"ATTENTION! WILL ALL TRAINERS PLEASE REPORT BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE LEAGUES FOR THE CONCLUSION OF THE TRAINER ELIMINATION MATCHES!"

"We're gonna hang out and watch you guys battle." Lisa said. "Good luck, you two."

We stood up. "Well, I'll see you this evening." I said to Chris.

He smiled. "Yup. Hopefully you'll have won all 7."

"I hope you win all of yours too." I said. "Good luck!"

Matches 6 and 7 were similar to my fear of coming against the aforementioned invincible trainer. One trainer taught his Alakazam a most surprising technique. The Pokemon ditched his spoons and put Seltzer in a stranglehold! Luckily, Seltzer gave him a nasty bite to end the matchup. The seventh trainer must have trained all his life, because he battled just like a god. I never thought I would beat him, but because I believed in my Pokemon and my Pokemon believed in me, I just BARELY pulled it off. I was the League Winner!!!!!!

"Chris!" I cried when I saw him at the end of the day, "Chris! I won! I won!" I leapt into his arms, hysterical. "I can't believe it!"

"I won, too." he whispered. "You know what that means?"

"What?"

"That we may have to fight each other."

"What what WHAT???"

"ATTENTION! WILL ALL TRAINERS PLEASE RETIRE TO THEIR ROOMS FOR THE NIGHT! THE STADIUM IS CLOSING!"

"Come on, let's go." Chris said, taking my hand.

"Hey you guys!" called Lisa, coming over with Tracy and Cindy. "What floor are you guys staying on?"

"12." I told her.

"Wow, us too! Can we walk back with you?"

"Sure."

After Tracy, Cindy, and Lisa went to their rooms, Chris took me back to my room.

"Do you really think we'll have to fight each other?" I asked as we watched TV.

Chris sighed. "I hope not. I mean, well… It's not like I want you to lose, but I just can't let my family down… none of them got even this far."

"I'm sure I'll get eliminated soon," I said, squeezing his hand. But the truth was, I really wanted to win as well. It would make everybody back in New Bark be so proud of me! I felt myself being torn between Chris's dream and my own.

Chris sat up. "Well, I'm gonna go to my room…"

"Hey!" I cried, grabbing his arm, "Don't I even get any congratulations for making League Winner?"

He grinned. "I guess maybe a kiss or two is in order."

"NOW you're talkin'."

What followed was possibly the best 10 minutes of my life.


	14. The Fight

The Fight

The TV remained on as Chris and I snuggled up with each other.

"So who's gonna be the champion?" I asked, kissing his cheek.

"Well, I will, of course." He said, smiling. "The only McManson to win the championship."

"Well, what if I beat you to it?"

"We'll have to let fate decide that."

Now Chris was starting to annoy me a little bit. It was like all that mattered was him winning the championship. He didn't think for a minute that maybe I had dreams too. But for now, I let the matter rest, as I was sure one of us would be eliminated soon.

"I'm rooting for you all the way," he continued, "but I've been training for like, 2 years, so I feel confident in my abilities."

"Well, so do I." I said. "Maybe I'd like to win as well."

"I don't doubt that you would. But the way the fates are looking…"

"The way the fates are looking, you're about as cocky as a spaniel!" I cried, standing up. "You're not thinking of my hopes at all!"

"Hey, sure I am!" he said, sitting up. "But still, I owe it to…"

"I know! You owe it to your family!" I shouted. "Well guess what, McManson, all is fair in love, war, and Pokemon fights! Suppose that you and I do face each other. What, you want me to just let you win?"

He had nothing to say to this.

I took my room key off the dresser. "I think you need some time to think, Mr. McManson. Perhaps until you can consider others' feelings, we need a little hiatus."

"Fine!" he said. "Go!"

And go I did, half angry, half torn.


	15. The League Matches

The League Matches

My fight with Chris filled me with anger, and from then on I was determined to let nobody stand in my way. I would win this tournament, even if I did have to go up against Chris. It was the birth of the new Kris.

"Yo, Kris," said Cindy at breakfast, "What's with you?"

"Yeah, your eyes are so red! Were you crying?" Tracy asked.

"You didn't break up with Chris, did you?" Lisa questioned.

"What's it to you?" I snarled. They backed off and resumed eating in silence.

The first round of the League Matches was like hell compared to the others. But my anger and determination fueled me, and I relentlessly had my Pokemon use their strongest moves again and again and again. They hyper beams flew, the flamethrowers lit the stadiums, and the surf extinguished them. I went through three matches easily.

"Kris, I've never seen you battle like this." Tracy said around a mouthful of a sandwich. 

"Yeah, it's like you're a whole new person." said Lisa.

I ignored them. I didn't need their comments. I looked up from my hamburger and saw Chris sitting at a table across the hall. He wasn't eating, and he had his head on his hand, playing with his fries. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him, but then I shook my head. He deserved to be alone.

As the time grew nearer for the final match, I grew increasingly nervous. My hot temper helped me win the next two matches, and as far as the stat board said, Chris and I were still in the running. I grinned, despite myself. I'd teach him not to cross me.

Finally, we were sitting in the stadium bleachers as they were about to announce the final standoff. Lisa, Tracy, and Cindy sat beside me. I could see Chris sitting several rows to my left, head down.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WE WILL NOW ANNOUNCE THE TWO TRAINERS FOR THE FINAL MATCH!"

"Is that you, Kris?" Cindy asked nervously. I held my head high.

"Maybe."

"THE TWO COMPETITORS ARE: FROM THE ADAMA LEAGUE, CHRIS McMANSON!"

There was a general roar of applause from the western half of the stadium.

"AND, FROM THE RUACH LEAGUE… KRIS WILSON!"

The south end of the stadium erupted in applause, and my friends cried out in delight. I smiled as a warrior would smile in the face of danger. The final standoff approached, and what a standoff it would be.


	16. Terrible Battle

Terrible Battle

December 15th. 10 p.m. It was time for the battle that would decide the Pokemon League champion for the year. Chris and I would battle it out for domination. Screams of delight from the Adama and Ruach leagues filled the stadium. Two high platforms rose from either end of the floor. I stood upon one, Chris on the other. There was a video intercom on either platform used to communicate, but I definitely didn't want to speak to him now. It was going to be all me tonight.

I saw my friends sitting with the other Ruach league members, cheering me on. I waved, and then the announcer, Professor Oak himself, began to speak.

"Welcome, everbody, to the final match of the Pokemon League Indigo Tournaments! I'm Professor Oak, host with the most! Our competitors tonight are Chris McManson of the Adama League, and Kris Wilson from the Ruach league. It's sure to be a helluva battle, folks! They're just getting ready now to throw their first Poke Balls onto the floor. Okay, get ready…"

Palms sweating, I watched the three blue lights flash, followed by the brighter yellow one. It was time!

The first matchup was Seltzer against Chris's Persian. While Seltzer readied an Ice Beam, Persian crouched and wiggled his behind, and jumped clean over the Ice Beam, pummeling Seltzer hard against the ground. I winced at the impact. Seltzer bit Persian's paw as he got up, causing the cat to yowl in pain. Persian slashed Seltzer across the face, and Seltzer came back with a scratch that tore a piece of skin off Persian's face. With a cry of anger, Persian bit down on Seltzer's leg to knock it out.

I stopped to take a breath. I wasn't going to give Chris the pleasure of gloating over the intercom.

The next matchup was RingDing against Chris's Fearow. RingDing being the quicker of the two, he started off with a Thunderpunch. However, Fearow flew high up to the ceiling of the stadium, dodging the attack. Then, beak thrust out, he zoomed straight down and plugged RingDing in the chest. He was down, but not out. He jumped on Fearow's back, and clung on as Fearow flew repeatedly around the stadium, trying to shake him off. I cried out as RingDing almost lost his balance and was clinging to Fearow by his front paws. Managing to get a grip, RingDing slashed the top of Fearow's head, causing the bird to plummet. Recovering just before hitting the ground, Fearow cast RingDing aside and gave it a Drill Beak. RingDing was now out.

I couldn't believe this. I was LOSING! I had worked so hard to get here… just to let Chris have his stupid dream!

Teeth gritted, I chose Big Ben as my final Pokemon. The roar of the audience had risen to a fever pitch, and the announcers were commenting on how they'd "never seen a match like this before."

A Muk came out to meet Big Ben. Big Ben used a solar beam, but Muk just seemed to absorb it and keep oozing towards my Pokemon. My heart dropped as Muk reached out a dripping hand and grabbed Big Ben by the throat, preparing to strike its devastating blow. But it didn't strike. It simply held my Pokemon, waiting. And then…

BZZT! Chris's face appeared on my intercom!

"Well?" I grumbled, "Win already."

His face wasn't angry and determined like I had seen before. It was sorrowful. But he smiled and began to speak.

"Kris, I still love you. Nobody splits up because of a fight. You know that, right?"

"Yeah. But…?"

He continued. "I think… that if anybody deserves this victory, it's you."

I saw a halo of white light begin to surround his Pokemon.

"DON'T YOU DARE!!!" I screamed. "I'll NEVER forgive you! This is your dream!"

His smile only saddened. "Congratulations, Kris." He said as his Pokemon disappeared from the floor.

The stadium was dead silent for a few seconds, then erupted in thunderous applause.

"Well bless my beard!" Oak cried over the loudspeaker, "Young McManson has conceded! Kris is the winner!"

I simply stood in shock as the platform lowered me to the floor. Cindy, Tracy, and Lisa came running up, spewing congratulations, but my attitude was hardly celebratory. Across the stadium, I saw Chris dismount his platform, waving slightly. I cried.


	17. The Victory Party

The Victory Party

The room was full of people. The Honored Representatives of the Pokemon League were there, along with Professors Oak and Elm, not to mention all the trainers from the different leagues. Chris sat to one side of me, and Lisa, Cindy, and Tracy on the other.

"Be happy." Chris said with a smile. "You're the winner! Think of how proud we all are of you."

"Even you?" I asked.

"Damn straight! Besides, nobody says I can't try out again next year, right?"

I laughed slightly. "I'll make sure not to enter next year then."

He kissed my cheek. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too."

"Attention!" called Professor Oak from the front of the room, "Attention! We are here now to honor the winner of the Indigo League Championship, Kris Wilson! Kris, come to the front, please."

Blushing a little, I got up and walked to the podium. Professor Elm joined me there.

"I personally saw Kris off with her Totodile," he said, "And from that moment, I expected great things from this girl. Her determination was incredible, and I knew she would go far. Kris, please speak to us."

It was a bit awkward, since I didn't prepare a speech or anything, but then I saw Chris poking his food over there, and I knew exactly what to say.

"I love Pokemon," I began, "I love my Pokemon, and I love training him. That's what won me this award. Not strength or power, but love. That's what wins every league champion the match. Love for their Pokemon. But tonight, I won because of love of a different nature."

I saw Chris's head perk up a little. I continued. "I won tonight because of Chris McManson, and the love we share. I'm sure he wouldn't do what he did for anybody. I love him dearly, and so I think it's only fit…" I took a breath, "I think it's only fit that the two of us share this award."

Chris was indeed startled, but prompted by the applause of the people and the urgings of Tracy, Lisa, and Cindy, Chris rose and came up to the podium.

"Chris," I said, "I love you. I don't want all your work to be for nothing. Please share this award with me."

"How about it, Chris?" Oak questioned. "Are you willing?"

The fire that had drawn me to Chris in the first place was re-ignited in our hearts. I saw that glow back in his eyes, that warmth back in his smile.

"Yes, Professor," he said with a grin, "Yes, I will share this award with Kris."

"Let's hear it for them!" Oak cried.

Amongst the deafening roars of everybody, Chris and I embraced and kissed.

"Now your dream didn't go down the drain." I whispered in his ear.

He said nothing and kissed me again, until we noticed that everybody was watching.

"Ummm, let's party!" I shouted.


	18. Epilogue

Epilogue

And now seven years have come and gone, and Chris and I stayed together and were finally married. One evening we sat watching the League Tournaments on TV, while our little son Adam scampered around the living room.

"Easy there, Jeff, you'll have a heart attack." I said with a smile.

"What's that, mommy?" he asked, eyes sparkling.

"Never mind."

"And now," said Oak on the TV, "Great moments in the Indigo League! It was seven years ago today that the power of love caused two very special trainers to win the Indigo Championship."

"Look, honey," I said to Chris, putting my arm around him.

"Kris Wilson and Chris McManson fought a brutal battle in the final round of the Indigo Tournament, and though Chris retreated in the end, Kris's love for him shone through, and they wound up sharing the award. We hope they're doing well now, wherever they are."

"Jeff, look," Chris said, pointing to the TV where a picture of us was showing, "That's mommy and daddy!"

Jeff wandered closer to the TV, then turned back to us and grinned. "That can't be you, sillies! They're too young!"

"What do you think?" I whispered to Chris, "Future Champion?"

He laughed as I snuggled up to him. "Likely. Most likely."

THE END!!!!

A work of Father Maximillian J. Hulk of the St. Eva Church

FatherHulk601@aol.com

****

BENEDICTION: So? What does everyone think? I consider this fic to have gone fairly well, don't you? I'm glad you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Feel free to send me your comments, or stop by the St. Eva Church if you're ever in Essex, NJ. Until next time, my children!


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